HOUSTON – LaMelo Ball looked in the opening game in Charlotte on Wednesday night like the superstar that nagging ankle injuries had kept him away from for most of the last two seasons.

Playing in a regular-season game for the first time since Jan. 26, Ball scored 34 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds to lead the Hornets to a 110-105 victory over Houston.

Ball made four 3-pointers and all 10 of his free throws to help Charlotte win.

The Hornets are relying on Ball to be on the court much more than in recent years as they attempt to end an eight-year playoff drought.

He was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft and was named Rookie of the Year that season before making the All-Star game in his second year. But he soon began to struggle with ankle injuries, which meant he was only able to play a total of 58 games over the last two seasons.

Now that he appears to have put those issues behind him, first-year coach Charles Lee was asked what healthy Ball means to his team.

Lee exhaled deeply and smiled before answering.

“He’s like the engine for us,” he said. “If we have a healthy LaMelo Ball, we’re going to do a lot of really good things because I know he’s going to continue to grow and he’s going to help everyone around him continue to get better.”

The 23-year-old was beaming after the game and reflected on being back on the pitch after his rough patch.

“It’s a blessing to just do what we love,” he said. “We grew up playing basketball, so it’s an incredible feeling to still be able to do it for a living.”

Lee said Ball has been consistent about being great since their first call after being hired and raved about his young star.

“He wants to be someone who earns the trust of his teammates and coaches, who wants to be a winner and have an impact on winning,” Lee said. “So I told him what I think will help us get the win, and I think you saw him execute that tonight with some of his defensive efforts, some of his varied efforts that he made and then with the offensive game with the pass and the advance.” That’s why I’m completely happy for him.”

The Hornets also trailed by 18 points on Wednesday before rallying late to earn the win. Ball was encouraged by how the team came together after struggling early in the game.

“In the first game you just want to come out and set the tone,” he said. “So we had to get the first win.”

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